Ringworm

Does anyone know if ringworm can cause itching in dogs? The dermatologist said it's highly unlikely and rare, but my dog has been suffering from a "mystery" skin illness that causes constant itching and fur loss, mainly in the face area, that no one can figure out. And I think this may be it.

My cat's fungal culture came back positive for ringworm. My dog started itching about two months after I brought the cat home, a year and a half ago.

What is the most common way to treat for ringworm in dogs? Just so I can be well-prepared for the vet appointment this afternoon. It seems different vets have different ways of treating this condition and my dog has potential liver dysfunction.

Thanks!

When my dog had ringworm he wasn't noticeably itchy, but I would think it could cause itching.

He was treated with topical anti-fungal stuff -- bought at the drug store, usually used for athlete's foot. The stuff my vet first said to use didn't work. I switched to tinactin spray and almost immediately the ringworm started to clear up and the hair started to grow back.

I've used generic anti-fungal cream with success in the past on localized areas. Just whip out your favorite athlete's foot, jock-itch, or yeast infection cream and apply it to the affected area.

My dog also got ringworm a couple months after I brought my cat home. And then my friend got it. I paid $250 at the vet to find out I could treat it at home, so my dog got the prescription cream and my friend got my Vagisil... both healed just as quickly.

If it's more systemic, though, you may have to take more drastic measures. I heard some solution that involved bleach or peroxide but don't act based on my heresay, do some research.

Thanks for your replies.

Well, since her itching has been going on for over a year now with fur loss in different areas over time, if it IS ringworm, I would think that it's a pretty severe/tough case of it.

I just called the dermatologist - he will prescribe some of that anti-fungal cream for me to apply to her body. However, most of the itching and fur loss is on her face. And I can't use this stuff on her face. Agh. I wouldn't be satisfied with just the cream, knowing that ringworm could be the root of all these skin issues, yet at the same time, I've read that the oral meds have some pretty nasty side effects, liver damage included...and she already has liver issues.

Did you guys only treat the areas topically that had the fur loss or did you apply the cream to the whole body?

doesn't ringworm show up under a blacklight?

I could have sworn i had seen som'one checking a cat that way once.

Yes, it does. Get a black light and check for yourself. I'd hate to treat for something and be treating for the wrong thing.

Also, ringworm actually shows up in rings. When we brought the cat home he had and Bella got a serious dose of it as well. She had rings all over her face and body, it was not localized. I would be checking for mange and yeast, I'm not an expert, but I think you would definitely know for sure if it was ringworm.

I just treated the areas where he had fur loss. Supposedly if you don't do anything, ringworm in dogs will clear up on it's own in 2-4 months.

OMG!!!!! I just logged on here to get some help for ringworm. What a nightmare it is. Gunner has it and I have been treating it since October. I thought for sure it would only take a month to clear up but little did I know. He went to the vet in September and had it cultured and the vet prescribed Ketochlor shampoo and over the counter lotrimin and monistat. The ketochlor did not help so when he was done with the bottle I started using Malaseb shampoo and that seemed to help. I also clean it with rubbing alcohol and apple cider vinegar because I read that it helps. Well yesterday I found a new bump and more hairloss so it has spread. We are bringing him back to the vet but if anyone has any ideas please let me know I am at my wits end with this. I do not want to put him on the pills either due to the side effects.

I have treated countless horses for it and I have had it twice myself.

The fastest way it cleared up on me, I was told to have a smoke and keep the ash, spit in it and apply to the ringworm. Gross, but it worked and cleared up with in a couple of days..........go figure. But never had a chance to try that 'treatment' on animals.

When my son was wrestling ringworm was always a concern. It's really the same thing as athlete's foot, and the high end athlete's foot cremes work well.

Ringworm only fluoresces under black light about 50% of the time. It's a quick diagnostic test but the absence of glowing isn't definitive, just means your animal has the wrong type.

The cream may act in the same way that flea treatment does in that it uses the oils in the skin to spread across the coat.

Systemic anti-fungals (orals) are generally a bad idea and only used if necessary (IE a systemic infection) because they are pretty toxic. The external anti-fungals such as creams don't harm animals for the most part but a pill can do some damage.

We always prescribed Malaseb cream or the wipes and they seemed to do well, though you likely could get the same bang for less buck with OTC stuff.

In some cases it does (hence the name) but rings, like the fluorescing, isn't an 'always' kind of thing. Have seen a lot of cases of ring worm where it doesn't ring.


Anyhow the vet will likely want to do a fungal culture. It takes about 2 weeks to do unfortunately. I forget the name of the test though....ETC or something along those lines.

There is also a pill the vet can prescribe. Phoebe got it once when we went to Arkansas, a stray kitten showed up at my sister's house and Phoebe wouldn't keep her nose away from it...........turns out the kitty had ringworm. Not only Phoebe, but every last kid did too

The vet prescribed Griseofulvin (looking at her vet records right now), and she had to take 1 pill every day for a month.

The kids on the other hand got athlete's foot creme applied to theirs until it went away, LOL

Years ago, all three of my dogs got it several times, from what, I don't know. Later on, after the other two were gone, my dog got it from the vet herself, who had gotten it from her dog, and she gave it to my dog when I boarded him, and she took him home one night because she felt sorry for him being there. He was there because he was supposed to be kept quiet because he had severe neck problems! Instead, she took him home, and not only did he get the **** ringworm, he played around and hurt his neck again. I wasn't happy about it, but eventually, his neck problem did clear up. I got a bunch of free anti-fungus cream too.